SDG 5 in Cuba: Updates on Gender Equality – The Borgen Project

Report on Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality in Cuba

This report assesses the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5), which aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, within the Republic of Cuba. The analysis highlights areas of significant progress and identifies persistent challenges requiring further action.

Political Participation and Leadership

Cuba has demonstrated substantial progress in achieving targets related to women’s political representation, a key component of SDG 5. However, disparities remain in executive leadership roles.

Achievements in Parliamentary Representation

• As of 2024, Cuba is one of only six nations globally to have achieved gender parity in its parliament.
• Women hold 55.74% of the seats in the national parliament, a figure that has nearly doubled over time.
• The Federation of Cuban Women (FMC), established in 1960, has been instrumental in advancing reforms to promote gender equality in the political sphere.

Challenges in Executive Government

• A significant gender gap persists in high-level government positions.
• Women occupy only 18.5% of cabinet minister positions, indicating a barrier to achieving full gender equality in executive decision-making.

Education and Empowerment

In alignment with SDG 5 and its synergy with SDG 4 (Quality Education), Cuba has achieved notable success in ensuring equitable educational opportunities for women.

Key Educational Milestones

1. Educational parity between genders was officially reached in 2013.
2. On average, Cuban women now possess a higher level of educational attainment than their male counterparts.
3. Reforms to the National Education System in 2023 and 2024 have focused on integrating education about gender-based discrimination and the inequitable distribution of unpaid labor.

Health and Well-being

Cuba has made remarkable strides in women’s health, particularly in reducing maternal mortality, which aligns with SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and is a critical aspect of gender equality.

Maternal Health Successes

• Cuba maintains one of the lowest maternal mortality rates in the world.
• Collaborations with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) have strengthened health screening, data collection, and resource allocation.
• The integration of genetic counseling at all levels of care has improved personalized health services for women.

Recent Setbacks

• Progress in maternal health has faced challenges since the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to an increase in mortality rates, necessitating renewed efforts to regain lost ground.

Economic Participation and Unpaid Labor

Significant gender disparities persist in the labor force, particularly concerning unpaid domestic work and overall economic participation, presenting a major challenge to the full realization of SDG 5.

Disparities in Unpaid Domestic and Care Work

Cuba falls short of SDG Target 5.4, which calls for the recognition and valuation of unpaid care and domestic work.

• Women and girls aged 15 and over spend 21% of their time on unpaid domestic and care work.
• Men in the same age group spend 12.5% of their time on such tasks, a disparity of nearly double.

Labor Force Gaps and Vulnerabilities

• Women constitute only 39.5% of Cuba’s labor force, compared to 60.5% for men.
• Economic stagnation has disproportionately affected women, with 17.5% of women in vulnerable employment, lacking social safety nets.
• To mitigate these effects and support SDG 5, the government has extended maternity benefits to 15 months and increased in-home care support for children with severe disabilities.

Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls

Addressing violence against women, as mandated by SDG Target 5.2, remains a critical area for improvement in Cuba, where legal frameworks are in place but enforcement is a challenge.

Prevalence and Legal Frameworks

• Data indicates that 4.6% of Cuban women aged 15-49 have experienced physical or sexual violence from a partner within the last 12 months.
• In 2022, Cuba ratified a new Family and Penal Code, which introduced stronger protections for women and children and established harsher penalties for gender-based crimes.

Enforcement Gaps

• Despite robust legal codes, a substantial gap exists in their enforcement.
• Reports indicate that police inaction in cases of abuse is common, undermining the effectiveness of legal protections.

Overall Assessment

Cuba has achieved considerable success in advancing SDG 5, particularly in the areas of parliamentary representation, educational attainment, and maternal health. However, the nation faces persistent challenges rooted in economic hardship and entrenched patriarchal norms. Key areas requiring sustained effort include:

1. Closing the gender gap in economic participation and leadership.
2. Addressing the inequitable burden of unpaid domestic and care work as per SDG Target 5.4.
3. Strengthening the enforcement of laws designed to eliminate violence against women and girls, in line with SDG Target 5.2.

Achieving comprehensive gender equality requires continuous and multifaceted efforts to translate legislative and political commitments into tangible improvements in the daily lives of all women and girls.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 5: Gender Equality

• The article is explicitly centered on SDG 5, analyzing its implementation in Cuba. It covers key areas of gender equality, including women’s political representation, unpaid domestic labor, violence against women, and disparities in the labor force.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• The article addresses SDG 3 through its dedicated section on “Maternal Health Care.” It highlights Cuba’s success in achieving one of the world’s lowest maternal mortality rates, a primary concern of SDG 3.

SDG 4: Quality Education

• The “Education for Women” section directly connects to SDG 4. It reports that Cuban women have achieved educational parity with men and, on average, are now more educated, demonstrating progress in equitable education.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• The article links to SDG 8 by discussing “Gender Disparities in the Labor Force.” It examines issues such as the gender gap in labor force participation, the percentage of women in vulnerable employment, and the impact of economic stagnation on women’s job security.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 5: Gender Equality

• Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership in political, economic and public life. The article directly addresses this by detailing women’s high representation in parliament (55.74%) but lower representation in key government positions like cabinet ministers (18.5%).
• Target 5.4: Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work. The article explicitly mentions that Cuba falls short of this target, citing data that women spend 21% of their time on unpaid work compared to 12.5% for men.
• Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls. The article explicitly references “SDG 5.2” and discusses the prevalence of intimate partner violence, as well as the legal frameworks and enforcement gaps related to protecting women.
• Target 5.c: Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality. This is identified through the mention of Cuba ratifying a new Family and Penal code in 2022 with stronger protections for women and harsher punishments for gender-based crimes.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• Target 3.1: By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio. The article discusses Cuba’s “remarkable progress” in this area, noting it has one of the “lowest maternal mortality rates in the world” and collaborates with WHO and PAHO on this issue.

SDG 4: Quality Education

• Target 4.5: By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education. The article confirms progress toward this target by stating that Cuban women achieved “educational parity with their male peers in 2013.”

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men. This target is relevant to the discussion of the labor gap, where women comprise only 39.5% of the labor force.
• Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including those in precarious employment. The article connects to this by highlighting that “17.5% of women in Cuba are in vulnerable employment, lacking the safety nets that help absorb economic shocks.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

SDG 5: Gender Equality

• Indicator 5.5.1: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments and local governments. The article provides precise data: “women hold 55.74% of seats in Cuba’s parliament” and “18.5% of cabinet minister positions.”
• Indicator 5.4.1: Proportion of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work. The article gives specific figures: “Women and girls 15 and up spent 21% of their time on unpaid domestic and care work, nearly double the 12.5% of time spent by men.”
• Indicator 5.2.1: Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls subjected to physical, sexual or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner. The article provides a statistic for this indicator: “4.6% of Cuban women aged 15-49 had experienced physical and or sexual violence from a partner in the last 12 months.”

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• Indicator 3.1.1: Maternal mortality ratio. While a specific number is not given, the indicator is clearly implied by the statement that Cuba has “among the lowest maternal mortality rates in the world” and is working to reduce it further.

SDG 4: Quality Education

• Indicator 4.5.1: Parity indices (female/male) for education indicators. This is implied when the article states that women achieved “educational parity with their male peers in 2013,” indicating a parity index of or near 1.0.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Labor Force Participation Rate by Sex (related to Target 8.5): The article provides data for this indicator, stating that “Women comprise 39.5% of Cuba’s labor force, while men comprise 60.5%.”
• Proportion of Population in Vulnerable Employment (related to Target 8.8): The article mentions a specific figure for this concept: “About 17.5% of women in Cuba are in vulnerable employment.”

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: borgenproject.org